They play together in perfect basketball harmony, side by side in the backcourt. Senior guards Andrew Jones and Calvin McEwen, lefty and righty, march in unison.

Their bond, an ideal combination of quarterback and receiver, has carried Clarksville to historic heights. The No. 2 Generals (23-2) won their first regional title, surviving two overtime tests, and must now conquer No. 1 Park Tudor (22-4) in Saturday afternoon's Class 2-A semistate at Seymour. That victor will advance to the state final at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 29.

If Clarksville gets there, Jones and McEwen will be the reason. They are the creator and the catalyst, the facilitator and finisher, the director and the producer. McEwen runs the show from the point as the general of the Generals, averaging 19.0 points and 6.8 assists, while Jones averages 18.0 points as the wingman.

When Jones transferred to Clarksville (from Henryville) prior to last season, he was welcomed and his addition made Clarksville a serious postseason threat. The Generals won the sectional before falling to eventual state runner-up Linton in the next round. But McEwen's mind-meld link was with his brother Aidan. When Aidan graduated, Calvin had to find a new partner.

"When he first came over I really didn't get to know him as a person," McEwen said. "Getting closer has helped us jell on the court.

"Last year it was me and my brother. We could read each other like a book and we knew exactly what we were going to do. This year, that's me and Andrew. I know he's going to make a cut before he even makes it. It's nice to have someone on the floor like that with you."

Their styles differ. Jones attacks the rim, using his athletic ability to open lanes. He can also stroke the jumper, with his school-record 10 treys (and 45 points) against Scottsburg as evidence.

McEwen penetrates to create, to dish and destroy. He will pass first, but he will also finish, and he forces defenders into difficult decisions. McEwen has attempted double the amount of free throws of anyone else on his team.

"Calvin is the guy that's heady, smart and will get you out of position," Clarksville coach Jason Connell said. "Andrew is the athletic, get-to-the-rim type who tries to explode on people. They're two great guards that complement each other perfectly.

"It didn't take long. That surprised me more than anything. Once Andrew got here and fit in, it took a while to read each other and understand each other. Calvin is the smartest basketball player I've ever known. Once he got a hold of him and they got together, it was good."

They have been targeted by virtually every defensive scheme. Slowing one is possible, but taming both is tough. Three days prior to Jones' explosion, McEwen had 42 points in an overtime victory at Corydon. McEwen also had 33 against Henryville (on Jones' birthday) and 31 against North Harrison. Jones hasn't scored in double figures the last three tournament games, which means he is due.

"He's an aggressive scorer," McEwen said. "When he's on, he can light it up in a heartbeat."

"He gets me open," said Jones, who has committed to play at Holy Cross College, an NAIA Division II program in northern Indiana. "Calvin likes to look to pass the ball more than he shoots it. That's just the kind of player he is. He can be a scorer, but in his mind he's a point guard. If I get in the right spots, he'll find me and get me the ball.

"I play aggressively and I like to attack the basket a lot. When Calvin attacks, he's good at drawing attention to himself, and that's when I get open at the 3-point line. I'm a pretty good catch-and-shoot guy, and when I get rolling it's a good thing."

The challenge this week is upsetting heavily favored Park Tudor, paced by Mr. Basketball candidate and state scoring leader Trevon Bluiett. The Panthers, who lead the state in scoring at 82.2 points per game, are gunning for their third state championship in the last four years.

The Generals accept the underdog's role. But they are not backing down.

"I would not bet against Calvin McEwen," Connell said. "That's how I am. No matter who we're playing, and that's no disrespect to anybody. I like my team."

He likes his team, with seniors D.J. Coleman and Marquis Parrish adding support. He loves his guards, who are ready to introduce themselves to the rest of the state.

"Teams in Indianapolis kind of overlook teams from Southern Indiana," Jones said. "That's the big city and it's a big basketball city. I figure their mentality will be 'Who's Clarksville? We never heard of them before.' "

That's a good question. Who is Clarksville? This season, Clarksville is Jones and McEwen, the left-right drumbeat for the army of Generals.

"We'll show everybody who we are," Jones said. "People will figure that out real soon."